DESCRIPTION: The overall objective of this AREA proposal is to provide students (both undergraduate and graduate) experimental and theoretical research experiences in the health-related fields so as to pursue academic or professional careers. The major research thrust of this proposal is to study hydrogen-bonded systems employing NMR spectroscopy and theoretical methods. The specific aims are (a) to study the effect of concentration, temperature, and counterions on the acid salts of dicarboxylic acids with regard to their ability to form intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds, (b) to examine the stability of intramolecular hydrogen bonds in acid salts of dicarboxylic acids towards the addition of protic solvents and deuterium exchange, (c) to investigate the effect of the carbon framework on hydrogen bonding by expanding the current studies so as to probe symmetry, ring-size and hybridization effects, and (d) to determine the spatial requirements for hydrogen bonding using theoretical methods.